Chateau of Maisons-Laffitte
Chateau of Maisons-Laffitte
Chateau of Maisons-Laffitte
4
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
The Chateau de Maisons was built in the 17th century on a hill overlooking a bend in the Seine. It is the work of the king's architect François Mansart who was then at the very pinnacle of his glorious career. The majesty, symmetry and harmonious forms of this splendid chateau make it an architectural masterpieces of its age. The Chateau de Maisons stands on the edge of Saint-Germain forest and was used as the king's residence after he had been hunting. Open:> 15th May to 14th September: from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.> 15th September to 14th May: from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Closed:> Tuesdays.> 1st January, 1st May, 1st November, 11th November and 25th December. Admission fees: Adults : 7,50 €; Concessions (18 to 25) = 4,50 €; Free admission: minors under 18*; Free admission: 18-25 years old* (citizens of one of the 27 countries of the EU or are non-European permanent residents of France) * excluding school groups
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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255 reviews
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Traveler O
Washington DC, DC1,216 contributions
May 2024 • Solo
Located to the NE of Paris, this chateau dates from the mid-1600s with lots of history. If you have the Passion Monuments pass, entry is free. The exterior area is free to visit. There are pamphlets in French to guide you through the chateau, it appeared there were some in English and other languages as well. This chateau became famous as the abode of Marechal Lannes who fought under Napoleon 1er, and was visited by many a famous figure before modern times. It's presently having some restoration work done on the exterior, so scaffolding is in place. The gardens could use some care to make it nicer, but the staff do appear to be doing what they can. Friendly, helpful staff. Street parking nearby. There's also an RER station but it can be a bit of a walk. Decent views towards La Defense from the upper level in this a chateau not often visited by many besides locals.
Written May 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aqua_Uomo
Toronto, Canada8,107 contributions
Apr 2019 • Solo
I write many reviews on castles, but this will be a long one, please take your time reading it.
I wanted to see this castle, didn’t just add it on my 20-castle list in April for no reason, mainly due to architectural reasons. It was entirely designed by the famous French architect François Mansart, probably the most accomplished architect of 17th century. He is not only famous for (among many) Chateau de Maisons, Château de Balleroy and Château de Blois ( these are other must-see castles in France) but for inventing the double slope gambrel roof which is still used these days under the name of Mansard Roof. Masisons-Lafitte is a very elegant example of this roof. I am an architect, I am fascinated by roofs and old buildings.
Maisons-Laffite was built in 1650s, it displays a high degree of refinement, subtlety, and elegance but it comes with a very sad story, just like its designer Mansart that was targeted by political and professional enemies, falsely accused of wild extravagance and machinations and following Louis XIV accession as king he lost many jobs, (including remodeling Louvre) dying in disgrace in 1666.
The castle never found its owner, it passed through 2 dozen of owners till the last one who demolished a part of it including stables and gates and farmed a big part of the property. Just before he died in 1900, he donated it to the municipality of Vyborg, which decided to keep his art collection but sell the château. No offers were submitted but eventually the State purchased the castle in 1905 just to save it from destruction.
Moreover, the style of this castle had much influence in future architecture. A few know that Château de Franconville was built having Maisons-Laffite as a model, also Plaza Constitución built in 1887 in Buenos Aires, currently a terminal train station was used as a model. The last but not the least, a Chinese multi-millionaire business man built a copy of Chateau Maisons in the suburbs of Beijing and enhanced it by adding two wings, perfect copies of Palace of Fontainebleau!
The front of the castle is under renovations, just the South part, and the entire front, new landscape and interlocking, but it is still accessible. I was there on April 20. If you are into architecture and interested in the introduction of classicism into Baroque architecture of France this is a must see structure! Enjoy!
I wanted to see this castle, didn’t just add it on my 20-castle list in April for no reason, mainly due to architectural reasons. It was entirely designed by the famous French architect François Mansart, probably the most accomplished architect of 17th century. He is not only famous for (among many) Chateau de Maisons, Château de Balleroy and Château de Blois ( these are other must-see castles in France) but for inventing the double slope gambrel roof which is still used these days under the name of Mansard Roof. Masisons-Lafitte is a very elegant example of this roof. I am an architect, I am fascinated by roofs and old buildings.
Maisons-Laffite was built in 1650s, it displays a high degree of refinement, subtlety, and elegance but it comes with a very sad story, just like its designer Mansart that was targeted by political and professional enemies, falsely accused of wild extravagance and machinations and following Louis XIV accession as king he lost many jobs, (including remodeling Louvre) dying in disgrace in 1666.
The castle never found its owner, it passed through 2 dozen of owners till the last one who demolished a part of it including stables and gates and farmed a big part of the property. Just before he died in 1900, he donated it to the municipality of Vyborg, which decided to keep his art collection but sell the château. No offers were submitted but eventually the State purchased the castle in 1905 just to save it from destruction.
Moreover, the style of this castle had much influence in future architecture. A few know that Château de Franconville was built having Maisons-Laffite as a model, also Plaza Constitución built in 1887 in Buenos Aires, currently a terminal train station was used as a model. The last but not the least, a Chinese multi-millionaire business man built a copy of Chateau Maisons in the suburbs of Beijing and enhanced it by adding two wings, perfect copies of Palace of Fontainebleau!
The front of the castle is under renovations, just the South part, and the entire front, new landscape and interlocking, but it is still accessible. I was there on April 20. If you are into architecture and interested in the introduction of classicism into Baroque architecture of France this is a must see structure! Enjoy!
Written April 30, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Olea_Travel
Poissy, France137 contributions
Mar 2014 • Family
I won't kid you: Château de Maisons Lafitte is not something you should have high on your 'to do' list if you only have a limited time in France. Although for the student of (17th century French) architecture the Château is considered a masterpiece chock-a-block full of innovations dreamt up by François Mansart, a more casual visitor would probably be better off visiting the castle and town of St. Germain-en-Laye, not very far fro here.
Note that the Château was widely used as a prototype across France, so looking at it you will probably have a sense of "déjà vu", given that lots of Town Halls closely resemble it...
Inside, although you will find some object of interest, most of the place gives off an air of slight abandonment, being sparsely furnished with objects... The two floors that you can visit comprise of four apartments, two for the royal couple and two for their hosts, the men and women having separate rooms of course! Lots of drapery in these, beds and whatnot, paintings of impressive dimensions and even a loo fit for royal bottoms...
The grounds around the house have been greatly reduced by the encroaching town, basically being restricted to the 'inner park' (they used to include all the area up to the gates you went though on the main street). What is left still follows that design of Mansart, in typical French style. However here too, no one seems to be taking care of things and although still beautiful it is definitely not flourishing....
Furthermore the town around the Château, although nice, does not really inspire one to linger longer. Cut through by busy avenues it gives the impression of a passage rather than a town in its own right.
SUMMARY:
GOOD: A 17th century architectural masterpiece.
GOOD: No queues, no jostling in the rooms.
BAD: The house and grounds are poorly cared for.
BAD: Déjà vu feeling. If you have just visited Versailles, you will be disappointed.
BAD: The Ticket price is steep. For the offering I will not be taking any guest there any time soon...If the ticket price was halved I might take a few, but mainly because I live close by.
ENGLISH SITE: http://maisons.monuments-nationaux.fr/
HOW TO GET THERE:
From Paris take the RER A line in the direction of Cergy or Poissy and get off at the 'Maisons Laffitte' station. Exit via the "Mairie" exit. You will come out just across from the town hall (Hôtel de Ville), right next to the Office de Tourisme (which, if open might provide some interesting information). From here things are pretty straightforward (and well signposted): Just continue up past the Hotel de Ville and the Cultural centre just opposite along Avenue de Longueil, straight through the old gates to the "Extended Park". Turn right on Avenue du Général Leclerc and soon you will see the Château at the end of the street.
Exact address: 2 Avenue Carnot 78600 Maisons-Laffitte
NOTE: This is the best and most scenic approach to the château - do NOT follow the route proposed by Google Maps as it will lead you to a side entrance to the Château's grounds that may or may not be open...
OPENING TIMES and ENTRY FEES
Open every day except Tuesday
mid-May to mid-September, 10h to 12h30 and 14h à 18h
mid-September to mid-May, 10h to 12h30 and 14h à 17h
Closed on Tuesdays and 1st January, 1st May 1st November, 11 November and 25 December.
Entry Fee: 7.50 €
Reduced rate : 4,50 €
Adult group rate : 6 € (minimum 20 persons)
The Ticket includes the use of an Audio guide. If you plan on following the complete audio guide you should set aside at least 2 hours for the experience...
Note that the Château was widely used as a prototype across France, so looking at it you will probably have a sense of "déjà vu", given that lots of Town Halls closely resemble it...
Inside, although you will find some object of interest, most of the place gives off an air of slight abandonment, being sparsely furnished with objects... The two floors that you can visit comprise of four apartments, two for the royal couple and two for their hosts, the men and women having separate rooms of course! Lots of drapery in these, beds and whatnot, paintings of impressive dimensions and even a loo fit for royal bottoms...
The grounds around the house have been greatly reduced by the encroaching town, basically being restricted to the 'inner park' (they used to include all the area up to the gates you went though on the main street). What is left still follows that design of Mansart, in typical French style. However here too, no one seems to be taking care of things and although still beautiful it is definitely not flourishing....
Furthermore the town around the Château, although nice, does not really inspire one to linger longer. Cut through by busy avenues it gives the impression of a passage rather than a town in its own right.
SUMMARY:
GOOD: A 17th century architectural masterpiece.
GOOD: No queues, no jostling in the rooms.
BAD: The house and grounds are poorly cared for.
BAD: Déjà vu feeling. If you have just visited Versailles, you will be disappointed.
BAD: The Ticket price is steep. For the offering I will not be taking any guest there any time soon...If the ticket price was halved I might take a few, but mainly because I live close by.
ENGLISH SITE: http://maisons.monuments-nationaux.fr/
HOW TO GET THERE:
From Paris take the RER A line in the direction of Cergy or Poissy and get off at the 'Maisons Laffitte' station. Exit via the "Mairie" exit. You will come out just across from the town hall (Hôtel de Ville), right next to the Office de Tourisme (which, if open might provide some interesting information). From here things are pretty straightforward (and well signposted): Just continue up past the Hotel de Ville and the Cultural centre just opposite along Avenue de Longueil, straight through the old gates to the "Extended Park". Turn right on Avenue du Général Leclerc and soon you will see the Château at the end of the street.
Exact address: 2 Avenue Carnot 78600 Maisons-Laffitte
NOTE: This is the best and most scenic approach to the château - do NOT follow the route proposed by Google Maps as it will lead you to a side entrance to the Château's grounds that may or may not be open...
OPENING TIMES and ENTRY FEES
Open every day except Tuesday
mid-May to mid-September, 10h to 12h30 and 14h à 18h
mid-September to mid-May, 10h to 12h30 and 14h à 17h
Closed on Tuesdays and 1st January, 1st May 1st November, 11 November and 25 December.
Entry Fee: 7.50 €
Reduced rate : 4,50 €
Adult group rate : 6 € (minimum 20 persons)
The Ticket includes the use of an Audio guide. If you plan on following the complete audio guide you should set aside at least 2 hours for the experience...
Written March 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kittyathome
Paris, France32 contributions
Jul 2014 • Friends
The general tours around the Chateau of Maisons-Laffitte are interesting but they have recently introduced a separate to-pay-for tour of two private apartments in the attic. Do not be tempted. The rooms are not furnished in the style of the time; rather they seem to be a place the chateau stores extra furniture; the guide gives a lot of background information on the chateau which you'll get on the general tour.
Written July 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yoshiko O
New York96 contributions
Jan 2014 • Solo
If you are a fan of his works, you'll enjoy a day trip to Lafitte. Not far from the center of Paris by train, I walked to the Chateau from the train station while enjoying young Cocteau's pictures on the street. It is said that he was born here and left when he was 15. The Chateau was not crowded and had quiet time inside and the pretty garden. (Visited autumn '13)
Written December 18, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vivandpat
Durban2 contributions
Nov 2014 • Friends
We were staying in Avenue General Leclerc which is a stones throw away form Chateau Maisons- Lafitte. It can be done in about an hour and there are no crowds to contend with. The history is interesting and the staircase amazing. It was very inexpensive - spent about Euro 7.50. History is an exciting study and these famous places help us gather information about the times.
Written November 16, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PhilTandy
United Kingdom138 contributions
Aug 2018
This chateau has commanding views west towards the forest of St Germain and east acros the Seine towards Paris. The garden is not being looked after and there is work going on outside, so concentrate on the interior.
This would be a good wet day option, but to do it justice you would really need about 2 hours. The audio guide is very helpful and takes you room by room through the whole chateau.
Highlights for me were the grande salle and mirror room on the upper floor - the latter is a small circular room with a beautiful inlaid parquetry floor.
This would be a good wet day option, but to do it justice you would really need about 2 hours. The audio guide is very helpful and takes you room by room through the whole chateau.
Highlights for me were the grande salle and mirror room on the upper floor - the latter is a small circular room with a beautiful inlaid parquetry floor.
Written August 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gehrig S
Province of Alicante, Spain225 contributions
Jun 2017
What a huge disappointment! The building was in reconstruction but the website neglected to mention it. The grounds were overgrown and filled with windblown garbage. The only other visitors were a disappointed Chinese couple who likewise had travelled to see a Marsart masterpiece.
Written June 18, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bucketandspader
42 contributions
Oct 2015
We were staying at the nearby campsite and had a couple of hours to kill before driving to Calais. We spent a couple of hours here and really enjoyed it. It was very quiet, just us and a few French school children. It was magnificent, especially the ball room and the servants kitchen. Under 25's are free, which is cmon in France, and adults were around 7 euros, so really good value for families. A short walk away is a gorgeous bakery that does pizzas, baguettes, cakes, etc so you can picnic in the grounds. The château has some amazing views right into Paris -definitely worth a visit if you are in the area!
Written October 25, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
arklight
northampton104 contributions
Sep 2015 • Couples
We visited this lovely chateau whilst it had an exhibition on of the sun king
It was a lovely chateau much smaller than Versailles but more intimate and quieter and a great deal cheaper to visit
We enjoyed our visit and would go back when in the area
It was a lovely chateau much smaller than Versailles but more intimate and quieter and a great deal cheaper to visit
We enjoyed our visit and would go back when in the area
Written October 3, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Does anyone know the directions to a certain Chateau Christopher Collé from here?
Written July 28, 2018
Just follow the Christian Colle poope road
Written July 28, 2018
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